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Updated: Jul 12, 2025
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Simulating Impacts of Ice Storms on Forest Ecosystems
Published on: June 30, 2020
7.0K
Increasing atmospheric dryness reduces boreal forest tree growth.
Ariane Mirabel1,2,3, Martin P Girardin4, Juha Metsaranta5
1Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Ariane.mirabel@gmail.com.
Nature Communications
|October 31, 2023
Summary
Rising atmospheric dryness, measured as vapour pressure deficit (VPD), is decreasing Canadian boreal forest growth. This trend, particularly affecting spruce species, threatens carbon storage and vital ecosystem services.
Area of Science:
- Forest ecology
- Climate change science
- Dendrochronology
Background:
- Climate change is increasing atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD), impacting boreal forests through stomatal closure and soil drying.
- The influence of VPD on forest productivity is context-dependent, varying with climatic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Canadian boreal forest responses to changes in VPD from 1951 to 2018.
- To identify key factors influencing tree sensitivity to VPD.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a tree-growth increment network with approximately 5,000 species-site combinations across Canada.
- Developed 3,559 growth models to analyze relationships between tree growth and concurrent/prior summer VPD.
Main Results:
- A significant relationship between tree growth and VPD was found in one-third of species-site combinations for concurrent summer VPD and nearly half for prior summer VPD.
- Negative correlations were observed between prior year VPD and current year growth, with current VPD also tending to reduce growth.
- Tree species, age, annual temperature, and soil moisture were primary determinants of VPD response; younger trees and species like white spruce showed higher sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- Increasing summer VPD in Canada since 1951 correlates with declining tree growth, especially in spruce species.
- Projected increases in atmospheric dryness will likely impede forest carbon sequestration and associated ecosystem services.
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